Means for indicating the position of a switch

ABSTRACT

Switching apparatus of the so-called &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;push-push&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; type in which a manually operable switch control member occupies the same position regardless of the position of adjustment of the switch. The apparatus includes an indicating member driven, alternately, between two positions in correspondence with the adjustment of the contacts of the push-push switch, and indicating the position of such contacts in terms of desired functions of associated equipment.

United States Patent Berenbaum et al.

[ Aug. 8, 1972 [S4] MEANS FOR INDICATING THE- POSITION OF A SWITCH [72] Inventors: Arthur Berenbaum, Holland, Pa.;

William A. West, Woodbury, NJ.

[73] Assignee: Philco-Ford Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa.

[22 Filed: March 11, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 123,153

52 US. Cl. ..200/167 R [51] Int. Cl. ..H0lh 9/16 [58] Field of Search ..200/167 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,217,129 11/1965 Hufnagel ..200/167 R Chabala et a1. ..200/1 67 R Perret ..200/167 R Primary Examiner-H. 0. Jones Attorney-Carl H. Synnestvedt [57] ABSTRACT 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF INVENTION In certain types of electrical apparatus, particularly television receivers, it is common to provide instrumentation which includes one or more switches movable, alternately, between two positions which control the functions of thereceiver, for example, the energization of the receiver circuits, initiation of an automatic tuning function, or the like. When use is made of pushpushswitches of this type, it has proven-inconvenient to indicate to the operator the position: of adjustment; of the switch which, in turn, determines the operating condition of the receiver. This is the case becauseathe manually operable member which controls such a switch is in the same position regardlessof theadjustment of the switch contacts.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTIVES OFiTI-IE INVENTION It is the general objective of our invention to provide push-push switches having mechanical indicating means which are extremely simple and low cost; and the indications of which are readily observable by those operating the associated equipment. In achievement of this general objective, we. provide, .in novel combination, a switch of the kind including aplate-likemember rockable to establish the position of the contacts and means for indicating such position,- including a. device pivoted to provide for swinging movements of a portion thereof to positions indicative of the switch position or 35 function, and which device has a portion. disposed in resiliently driven engagement with the plate-like switch actuating member. The device is swingable'from one position to another, inaccordance withthe position ccupied by .said .plate-likemember, thereby indicating adjustment of the switch-contacts. I

It is a further feature of our inventionthat: apparatus constructed in accordance therewith includes arcuate indicia-bearing indicating means movable in extremely rapid fashion past a position where it is observable by the operator, for example a viewing apertureaor window. Since the indicating means bears resiliently against the switch actuating 1 means, to be driven thereby, the indicator always stops in the desired position without overshoot or backlash: andthereby provides accurate and positive indications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS tuator and manually operable means for rocking the same, these two elements being shown disassociated from the overall apparatus and illustrated in two different positions of adjustment. I

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Making" moredetailed reference tothe drawing, and

5 first to: FIGS. 1. to 3.thereof, the illustrated indicator switchcomprises a generally cylindrical housing enclosing the switch contacts-(not shown). This housing appears in FIG. 2 and is provided with a pair of terminals 11, which are. adapted for connection to associated circuitry, forexample the power supply of a television receiver. The. upper surface of this housing is fixed in any convenient. means to frame structure. 12 which has an upper, generally ring-like portion 13 (FIGS; land 3) terminating in an upstanding flange portion '14. Towardthe opposite end of the frame structure, that istoward the right end of the structure as seen in the drawing,'there is provided a second upstanding flangelSwhich isapertured at 16 (FIG. 1) to accommodate a bracket 17 carried by a manually operable slide member 18 which would normally carry a button (not shown) and may be pushed toward the left, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3. The bracket 17 has secured therein a shaft or stud 19 which is mounted to pass freely through the flange 14, as is indicated at 20 in FIG. 2'. Whenthe manually operable push-button member-18 "is moved toward the left, the end portion 20 of shaft 19 extends through the bracket 14, to a left hand position illustrated in broken line. Since the 0 bracket 17 is then approaching flange 14, the spring 21 is compressed. .The force of the Iatterretums the slide member 18 to its illustrated, rest position when the operator releases said member.

A switch of this kindincludes a plate-like, preferably arcuate, actuating member 22 coupled by any convenient means,'as for example by the small pins shown in FIGJI at. 23, to the contacts disposed within enclosure l0.'-'Ihe.contacts within housing 10 are driven by the pins 23-to be moved alternately between their two positions in response to rocking movement of such arcuate plate 22;.The-manually operable slide member 18 hasleg portions 18a and 18b, slidable with respect to the frame 12,'and carries a pawl 24 which comprises a flat plate. portion lying generally in the plane of the 451slide- .18 and1an upstanding flange portion 25 through which extends the'rod19and against which the spring 21 reacts. This arrangement may be understood clearly fromconsideration of FIG- 2, taken with FIGS. 4A and .43. It is tobe understood that the outer end of the pawl,.that is the end which is flared to provide a pair of cam surfaces 24a-24b, and a nose projection 26, closelyoverlies. the rockableswitch actuating plate member 22. The pawl is used to impart rocking motions to the plate as the pawl is advanced by pressure exerted against theslide member 18.

Switchesof this general kind are known in the art and include tabs or projections 26a, 26b'which may be struck upwardly from the plane of the rockable plate 22 and through the agency'of which the pawl 24 is enabled to impart swinging movement to the switch actuating plate 22. The initial movement of the pawl 24 is along a line passing through the approximate center of rocking movement of the switch actuating plate 22, as

' is apparent from inspectionof FIGS. 3 and4B. This line appears'in those Figures at 27. Referring now to FIG- 4A, it will be seen that as the pawl is moved toward switch actuating position, in response to inward sliding movement of the manually operable member 18, and consequent displacement of the pawl, rod and spring toward the left as viewed in FIGS. 1-3, the pawl cam surfaces 24a and 24b are brought into a position, as the pawl moves along line 27, in which one or the other of said surfaces makes contact with the closer of the two driving tabs 26a and 26b. FIG. 4A illustrates the earn 240 making contact with the tab 26b, this figure showing the parts just after the pressure of said cam surface against tab 26b has shifted the outboard end of the pawl 24 to the right of the line. of centers 27, so that the direction of thrust of the pawl lies along a line 28, displaced somewhat to the right of line 27. Continued movement of the pawl, which results from continued inward pressure against the slide 18, rotates the switch actuating plate 22 to the position shown in FIG. 4B, that is to a position in which the tab 26b has rocked forwardly and the tab 26a rearwardly, closely approaching cam surface 24b. When this position is attained and the button 18 is released, the spring 21 returns the pawl 24 to its rest position shown in FIG. 4B, in which it is realigned with line of centers 27, and its cams are out of contact with either of the tabs 26a or 26b. The abovementioned rocking movement of plate 22 has, of course, moved the switch to one of its two positions, thereby adjusting its contacts appropriately, for example to either the ON or the OFF position. As will be understood without further detailed description, repeated movements of the slide 18 and of the pawl 24 carried thereby, result in alternation of the switch actuating plate 22 between the position shown in FIGS. 4A and 48, with consequent repetitive operation of the switch.

In particular accordance with the present invention, we provide novel means for indicating the position of adjustment of such a push-push switch. Broadly, the indicating means comprises a member pivoted to provide for swinging movements of a portion thereof to positions indicative of the position of adjustment of the switching means, said member having another portion disposed in driven engagement with the switch actuating plate, whereby to provide for swinging of said indicating member in response to rocking of the plate. As will be understood from consideration of FIGS. 1 to 3, the indicating means comprises a plate 29 of approximate sector shape, and having an intermediate portion mounted on the flange or bracket 14 through the agency of suitable pivot means, for example the stud shown at 30. The indicator means 29 is preferably made of resilient material of any suitable type, for example of suitable resilient plastic material, and is generally U- shaped when viewing from the side, in which connection see particularly FIG. 2. One leg 29a of the U extends down into driven engagement with one or the other of the tabs 26a, 26b depending upon the position of adjustment of the switch. The other leg portion 29b is formed arcuately, as appears in FIG. 3, and carries indicia which may readily be observed by an operator of the equipment. As shown in FIG. 1 this indicia may, for example, comprise the words ON and OFF, and swinging of the indicator 29 serves to bring either word into position to be viewed through a window or aperture which is not illustrated but which normally would be provided in the associated equipment.

In operation, the over-center swinging of pawl 24 snaps the actuating plate 22 between its two positions and in such manner that the indicator 29 is swung rapidly and alternately between its corresponding positions, that is, between the positions shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The result is that the indicia appear in viewable position (centered on the axis 27, in the present embodiment) virtually instantaneously, upon operation of the push-button slide member 18. It is particularly to be noted that the leg portion 29a of indicator 29 terminates in a pair of outwardly turned projections (one is shown at 31 in FIG. 1), which projections bear resiliently against one or the other of the tabs 26a and 26b depending upon the position of adjustment of the switch. Another such projection is shown at 31a in FIG. 4B. This projection is illustrated as being warped slightly, out of the plane of leg 29a, by reason of the resilient pressure exerted against tab 26b. The result is that the indicia-bearing leg portion 29b of the indicator is biased toward the proper position in which the desired indicia, for example the word ON, in centered in proper position for observation. Stop means is provided to prevent any overshoot, under the influence of the resilient pressure created by the projections 31a bearing against the tabs. This stop means takes the form of a lug 32 which projects upwardly from frame flange 15 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) and cooperates with a pair of stops 33-34 which depend from the indicator body 29. In the position of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3, for example, the resilient pressure exerted between projection 31 and tab 26a urges the indicator toward the left, and the movement of the indicator toward said left hand position is limited by engagement of downturned stop 34 against the lug 32. In the particular embodiment illustrated, this position corresponds to display of the word OFF in its observable position on the center line 27 In summary, this invention provides low cost indicator apparatus cooperable with conventional push-push switches visibly and prominently to display the setting of such switches. The apparatus is especially useful in television receivers, for line-switch and automatic frequency control applications.

We claim:

1. In switching apparatus of the type including adjustable switching means, actuating means comprising a generally flat plate drivingly coupled to said switching means and rockable between two positions for controlling the position of adjustment of said switching means, and manually operable means for alternately moving said generally flat plate between its two positions, the improvement which comprises means for indicating the position of adjustment of said switching means, including: a member mounted to provide for swinging movements of a first portion thereof to positions indicative of the position of adjustment of said switching means; said generally flat plate being provided with spaced tabs alternately engageable by said manually operable means for alternately moving the generally flat plate between its two positions; and said member having a second portion alternately contacted and moved by said tabs as said generally flat plate moves between its two positions.

2. In switching apparatus of the type including ad justable switching means, actuating means comprising a generally flat plate drivingly coupled to said switching means and rockable between two positions for controlling the position of adjustment of said switching means, and manually operable means for moving said plate between its two positions, the improvements which comprise: means for indicating the position of adjustment of said switching means comprising a member mounted for swinging movements of a portion thereof to positions indicative of the position of adjustment of said switching means, said plate being drivingly coupled to said indicating means to control the position of the latter, said manually operable means being contactable with spaced portions of said plate, for altemately moving the plate between its two positions, and said manually operable means further being 7 characterized by the inclusion of a pawl initially movable along a line passing through the center of rocking movement of said plate and into the stated contact with said plate, said pawl being displaceable, selectively, to either side of said line in accordance with the position occupied by said plate when it is contacted by said manually operable means.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2, in which said plate includes a pair of spaced tabs, and said pawl includes a pair of spaced cam portions engageable with said tabs as said manually operable means is actuated, whereby to establish the position of said pawl with respect to said line. 

1. In switching apparatus of the type including adjustable switching means, actuating means comprising a generally flat plate drivingly coupled to said switching means and rockable between two positions for controlling the position of adjustment of said switching means, and manually operable means for alternately moving said generally flat plate between its two positions, the improvement which comprises means for indicating the position of adjustment of said switching means, including: a member mounted to provide for swinging movements of a first portion thereof to positions indicative of the position of adjustment of said switching means; said generally flat plate being provided with spaced tabs alternately engageable by said manually operable means for alternately moving the generally flat plate between its two positions; and said member having a second portion alternately contacted and moved by said tabs as said generally flat plate moves between its two positions.
 2. In switching apparatus of the type including adjustable switching means, actuating means comprising a generally flat plate drivingly coupled to said switching means and rockable between two positions for controlling the position of adjustment of said switching means, and manually operable means for moving said plate between its two positions, the improvements which comprise: means for indicating the position of adjustment of said switching means comprising a member mounted for swinging movements of a portion thereof to positions indicative of the position of adjustment of said switching means, said plate being drivingly coupled to said indicating means to control the position of the latter, said manually operable means being contactable with spaced portions of said plate, for alternately moving the plate between its two positions, and said manually operable means further being characterized by the inclusion of a pawl initially movable along a line passing through the center of rocking movement of said plate and into the stated contact with said plate, said pawl being displaceable, selectively, to either side of said line in accordance with the position occupied by said plate when it is contacted by said manually operable means.
 3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2, in which said plate includes a pair of spaced tabs, and said pawl includes a pair of spaced cam portions engageable with said tabs as said manually operable means is actuated, whereby to establish the position of said pawl with respect to said line. 